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newsclips -- ARB Newsclips for May 7, 2013.
Posted: 07 May 2013 12:30:35

ARB Newsclips for May 7, 2013.
This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office
of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with
individual websites to view some of the following news articles.
CAP AND TRADE
Europe’s Carbon Market Fix Set for July Second-Chance Vote. The
European Parliament will hold a second plenary vote in early July
on a stopgap plan to bolster prices in the world’s biggest carbon
market after it rejected the draft measure last month.
Representatives of political groups in the Parliament’s
environment committee agreed today that the panel will give its
verdict on the proposal on June 19, before a vote by the full
assembly during the July 1-4 session, lawmaker Matthias Groote
said. The plan to curb the oversupply of carbon permits…Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/europe-s-carbon-market-fix-to-be-voted-in-parliament-in-july.html
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-05-07/europe-s-carbon-market-fix-to-be-voted-in-parliament-in-july
AIR POLLUTION
Rail yard project heads to Los Angeles City Council; health
official expresses pollution concerns. Los Angeles city leaders
this week will tackle a controversial $500 million rail yard
project proposed by BNSF Railway near West Long Beach and
Wilmington neighborhoods. The Los Angeles City Council on
Wednesday will decide whether to uphold the Los Angeles Board of
Harbor Commissioners' endorsement of the project's environmental
impact report. Posted.
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_23183703/rail-yard-project-heads-los-angeles-city-council
Hot Weather Impacts Air Quality. State and Federal Air Quality
Standards Were Exceeded in Santa Barbara County. Concentrations
of ground-level ozone, a principal component of smog, recorded
Friday at stations in Carpinteria and Lompoc exceeded both the
federal eight-hour ozone standard and the state eight-hour ozone
standard, and ozone concentrations at the Las Flores Canyon
(Gaviota coast), Paradise Road, Santa Ynez, and Vandenberg Air
Force Base stations exceeded the state ozone standard. Posted.
http://www.independent.com/news/2013/may/06/hot-weather-impacts-air-quality/
CLIMATE CHANGE
Germany Says Climate Talks Move Beyond Blame Game Before Warsaw.
Climate talks that ended today in Berlin moved beyond a “blame
game,” said Germany’s Environment Minister Peter Altmaier, after
recent disagreements. Representatives from 35 nations met in the
city before United Nations-mandated discussions on tackling
climate change due this year in Warsaw. Delegates from more than
190 states aim to reach a deal in 2015 to curb greenhouse gas
emissions from 2020. They plan to replace the Kyoto Protocol,
which was adopted in 1997 and limits pollution from industrial
nations. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/germany-says-climate-talks-move-beyond-blame-game-before-warsaw.html
Surge in valley fever blamed on climate change. California and
federal public health officials say that valley fever, a
potentially lethal but often misdiagnosed disease infecting more
and more people across the nation, has been on the rise as a
warming climate and drought have kicked up the dust that spreads
it. The fever has hit California’s agricultural heartland
particularly hard in recent years, with the incidence
dramatically increasing in 2010 and 2011. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/surge-in-valley-fever-blamed-on-climate-change/2013/05/05/79668cca-b5cf-11e2-b94c-b684dda07add_story.html
Judges skeptical of states challenging EPA regulatory authority.
Federal judges wrestled today with whether U.S. EPA ran afoul of
the law in directing states to implement regulations to address
climate change. At issue before a three-judge panel of the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit are two
cases that challenge EPA's interactions with states after the
agency finalized landmark greenhouse gas rules in 2010. EPA had
sought to make sure states that had Clean Air Act permitting
authority for new major facilities were able to adequately take
into account greenhouse gas emissions. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2013/05/07/1 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY
DIESEL EMISSIONS
In Calif, some ships plug in to power up. In less than a year,
many of the towering cargo ships loading and unloading goods at
California ports won't just tie up at dock—they'll also plug in.
In January, the state will become the first government body in
the world to require container fleets docking at its major ports
to shut off their diesel engines and use electricity for 50
percent of their visits—or face crippling fines. The requirements
also include slashing fleet emissions by half, and those
requirements rise to 80 percent in 2020. Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/in-california-cargo-ships-must-soon-plug-in-to-power-up-to-reduce-emissions-starting-in-2014/2013/05/06/a76b09ba-b698-11e2-b568-6917f6ac6d9d_story.html
http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/In-Calif-some-ships-plug-in-to-power-up-4492910.php
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20130507/WIRE/130509658/1033/news
http://www.eveningsun.com/nationworldnews/ci_23183879/at-california-port-some-ships-plug-power-up
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130506/A_NEWS/130509905&cid=sitesearch
Residents near U.S. ports say expansions taking heavy toll. The
big trucks roar out of Port Newark like a beastly herd, snorting,
grinding gears and belching exhaust as they rush through the
predominantly black South Ward neighborhood. “In one hour, no
matter when we count, we have about 400 trucks come through,” Kim
Gaddy said. The diesel trucks help move $1 billion worth of cargo
annually in and out of Port Newark, a cornerstone of the nation’s
third-largest port system — the Port of New York and New Jersey —
and the source of tens of thousands of jobs. But the pollution
exacts a heavy toll on residents, environmental advocates say.
Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/residents-near-us-ports-say-expansions-taking-heavy-toll/2013/05/05/78842a82-a77f-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_print.html
FUELS
Ultra-Low-Sulfur Diesel Futures Advance as Gasoil Strengthens.
Ultra-low-sulfur diesel futures jumped to a three-week high as
gasoil in Europe strengthened. Crack spreads widened. Futures
rose as much as 0.9 percent. Gasoil jumped on the ICE Futures
Europe exchange, indicating greater demand need for distillate
exports from the U.S. ULSD’s crack spread versus West Texas
Intermediate crude widened $1.38 to $27.87 a barrel. The premium
over Brent increased 82 cents to $18.01. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/ultra-low-sulfur-diesel-futures-advance-as-gasoil-strengthens.html
Ethanol Rises Versus Gasoline on Signs of Higher Export Demand.
Ethanol advanced against gasoline on speculation higher export
demand is tightening supply along the U.S. East Coast. The
spread, or price difference, widened 3.8 cents to 30.67 cents a
gallon at 11:24 a.m. New York time as stockpiles of the fuel in
New York Harbor in the week ended April 26 dropped to a record
low 5.6 million barrels, data from the Energy Information
Administration show, even as overall gasoline demand trails
year-ago levels. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-07/ethanol-rises-versus-gasoline-on-signs-of-higher-export-demand.html
Gas prices steady – but could go up. Area gasoline prices, which
have been slowly falling in recent weeks, stayed locked in place
last week. The average retail price of gasoline in the Sacramento
area was unchanged from the previous week, coming in at $3.80 a
gallon, according to national price tracker GasBuddy.com, which
surveys 720 stations in the area. Sacramento prices are now 29.5
cents lower than they were a year ago and 7.6 cents lower than a
month ago. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/07/5400098/gas-prices-steady-but-could-go.html#storylink=cpy
VEHICLES
China's struggling automakers jump on SUV boom. BYD is known for
electric cars but this year's flagship model is the S7, a
gasoline-powered SUV. It comes with an air purifier, radar to
help with backing and digital TV. An onboard hard drive can hold
1,000 films. This is China's Year of the SUV. Whatever their
specialties used to be, automakers ranging from global brands to
China's ambitious rookies are scrambling to cash in on the
explosive popularity of sport utility vehicles. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/China-s-struggling-automakers-jump-on-SUV-boom-4493867.php#ixzz2Scrg6Rdx
Electric-car enthusiasts eye world records in cross-country trip.
In the Ride The Future Tour, a collection of electric vehicle
enthusiasts aim to travel almost 3,000 miles east to west across
the US, Ingram writes. Several Guinness World Records are up for
the taking, including "longest journey on an electric scooter,"
"longest journey on an electric motorcycle," and "longest journey
in an electric car." Posted.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/In-Gear/2013/0507/Electric-car-enthusiasts-eye-world-records-in-cross-country-trip
Tesla talking to Google about driverless electric cars. Tesla
Motors CEO Elon Musk is talking to Google about adding driverless
technology to its electric cars, Bloomberg News reports. If the
two were ever to collaborate, it could give Tesla a key technical
advantage over other luxury car makers beyond its unique electric
powerplant, which gives its the longest range of any electric
cars. It is EPA rated at 265 miles a charge. Posted.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/05/07/tesla-elon-musk-google-driverless-cars/2140991/
GREEN ENERGY
GE says tax changes fuel 1 gigawatt of new wind orders. General
Electric Co (GE.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on
Monday the renewal of the U.S. production tax credit has helped
it sell wind turbines with 1 gigawatt of generating power since
January. The credit, a key lifeline for the nascent wind power
industry, was caught up in fiscal cliff negotiations in the U.S.
Congress at the end of last year, and for a time it was unclear
whether it would be renewed. Congress renewed it shortly after
the new year began. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/06/us-ge-wind-idUSBRE9450GS20130506
Imperial Irrigation District mulls more solar rebates. Nonprofit
groups in the Coachella Valley and Imperial County may have a
second chance to get thousands of dollars in solar rebates from
the Imperial Irrigation District. IID’s Energy Consumers Advisory
Committee on Monday night debated what to do with $552,422 in
solar rebates the utility had originally earmarked for nonprofit
and government projects as part of its Solar Solutions Program.
Posted.
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013305060017&nclick_check=1
Wind power industry is urged to become more aggressive in
competing with fossil fuels. Coming off one of the most
tumultuous years in its recent history, the U.S. wind power
industry has emerged stronger and more confident of its future,
industry leaders gathered here for the American Wind Energy
Association's national conference said yesterday. But for wind
power to solidify its standing in a highly competitive energy
market…Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2013/05/07/6 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY
MISCELLANEOUS
Energy officials brace for another summer without San Onofre.
Energy officials expect to get through another summer without
blackouts even if the San Onofre nuclear plant remains shuttered
-- but damaging fires in the months ahead could undermine that
prediction. An assessment released Monday by the California
Independent System Operator, which oversees most of the state's
power grid, projected that power supply will be slightly tighter
this summer than last in Southern California. Posted.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-san-onofre-summer-20130506,0,2463971.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+lanowblog+%28L.A.+Now%29
http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/05/06/37150/without-the-san-onofre-nuclear-plant-a-potentially/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+893KpccSouthernCaliforniaNews+%28KPCC%3A+News%29
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/06/regulator-target-nuclear-investigation/?utm_source=feedly
Inside Lawrence Berkeley Lab; $40B industry sparks battery
technology race. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is making
California tech companies and startups a unique offer: cut rate
access to its cache of pricey, one-of-a-kind battery equipment.
The goal? Accelerating commercialization of emerging technology
in the estimated $40 billion energy storage industry. In a new
public-private partnership known as CalCharge, the federal
laboratory is joining forces with cleantech advocacy group
CalCEF…Posted.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2013/05/03/40b-energy-storage-industry-sparks.html?s=print
OPINIONS
A Carbon Trading System Worth Saving. The European Union became a
pioneer in tackling climate change by starting the first major
cap-and-trade system designed to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions
by putting a price on them. But analysts are increasingly worried
that technical mistakes, Europe’s prolonged recession and the
failure of policy makers to strengthen the system is undermining
its effectiveness. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/07/opinion/europes-carbon-trading-system.html
Fracking won't improve our lives. Re "Oil, gas firms winning race
to conquer energy technology" (Business, May 4): Recent articles
prompt me to wonder how much of our precious water is being
consumed by fossil fuel extraction in the south state, and how
much such use is anticipated in the future. Can that water ever
be returned to nature's water cycle to sustain us all? I'm afraid
all this winning is ultimately losses for the quality of our air,
water, and lives. Posted.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/06/5399417/concern-about-water-use-and-fracking.html#storylink=cpy
Editorial: Rev up the rules to cut pollution. Fed up — and
rightly so — with congressional inaction, the Obama
administration is instituting new air-pollution rules that will
definitely help reduce smog and improve the environment over
time. The rules require cleaner gasoline and lower-pollution
vehicles, with the idea of eventually reducing vehicle emissions
up to 40 percent across the country. Specifically, oil refiners
will have to reduce the amount of sulfur in U.S. gasoline by
two-thirds. Posted.
http://www.lohud.com/article/BK/20130507/OPINION01/305070011/Editorial-Rev-up-rules-cut-pollution
BLOGS
Tornado doom then tornado drought: Both linked to climate change?
We are living through the most anemic one-year period for
tornadoes in the modern record – a cause for celebration if you
dislike human suffering and destruction. The present lull in
these violent storms stands in sharp contrast to 2011, one of the
most active years for twisters, with devastating consequences for
life and property. What does this tornado pendulum signify about
the effect of climate change on twisters? Posted.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/05/06/tornado-doom-then-tornado-drought-both-linked-to-climate-change/
POLLUTION: Stricter fireplace smog rules set. Air quality
officials have committed $500,000 in incentives to help residents
in the pollution-plagued JurupaValley convert from wood-burning
fireplaces to cleaner alternatives. The move is part of an effort
by the South Coast Air Quality Management District to reduce
fine-particle pollution, known as PM2.5. The district’s board
also voted Friday, May 3, to impose tougher limits on when
residents can light their wood fireplaces. Posted.
http://blog.pe.com/environment/2013/05/06/pollution-stricter-fireplace-smog-rules-set/
5 Worst Orange County Places Based on State Pollution and
Demographic Data. Daniel Weintraub, editor of the California
Health Report, compared the census zip codes 92707 (Santa Ana)
and 92657 (Newport Beach) on the online state Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment tool and found stark
contrasts. Despite those places being relatively close to each
other, one is among the cleanest in California, the other is one
of the dirtiest. Can you guess which is which? Posted.
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2013/05/orange_county_ca_pollution_wor.php
Majority Of Carbon Clusters Underneath Earth's Surface In Hot
Mantle Rocks, New Research Shows. Most of Earth's carbon clusters
deep beneath the surface, in hot mantle rocks that churn below
the planet's thin crust. "Most people probably don't recognize
that the vast majority of carbon — the backbone of all life — is
located in the deep Earth, below the surface — maybe even 90
percent of it," Elizabeth Cottrell, a geologist at the
Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History, said in a statement.
Posted.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/carbon-clusters-subterranean_n_3230785.html
Should America export its fracked gas? Why greens say no.
Frackers already contaminate America's groundwater, make people
sick, produce radioactive waste, and contribute to earthquakes.
Processing and moving the natural gas that they produce leads to
nasty spills and deadly explosions. And cheap natural gas makes
it harder for renewable energy to compete. But, hey, at least
almost all of that cheap fuel is being used by Americans in
America, right? Posted.
http://grist.org/news/should-america-export-its-fracked-gas/
Public Charging Stations For Electric Cars: Who Leads The Way?
For the majority of the general public to consider purchasing a
fully electric car, they first want accessible public charge
points located at or near places they frequent in their daily
life.
It's also clear that most people won't end up using them nearly
as much as they think they will. However, having them in place
and available is necessary to ease the concern that charging has
to be there when it may be needed. Posted.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1083897_public-charging-stations-for-electric-cars-who-leads-the-way